As The Tables Turn
by Miss Scream Queen
Summary: After the incident with Royal Pain, Lash's father gets him out of jail. Only problem? He can't return to Sky High. Now he has to go to a public school for people without powers. What happens? [LashXOFC]
1. Chapter 01

_If this idea's been done before I apologize. I don't own Lash or anything affiliated with him, but I do own most of the characters in this story. Since I don't know Lash's real name, I made it up. I thought of using Jake, since the actor who played him was Jake Sandvig, but that's been done before, so I made it up completely. Josh Ford is _not_ his real name, I own it. _

* * *

**As The Tables Turn  
Chapter One**

"Don't you roll those eyes at me young man."

Lash shifted awkwardly in the passenger seat of his mother's black BMW as she stopped at a redlight. Rain drummed insistently on the roof of the car, a constant rhythm that made Lash want to fall asleep -- not to mention he'd spent all night getting a lecture from his old man, keeping him up till one in the morning. It was his mother's turn to lecture him now as she drove him to the new school he'd be attending and he really was not in the mood for it.

"Of all the people to go get themselves thrown in jail and ultimately kicked out of their high school," she continued, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, "I never could have imagined it would've been my own son."

It'd been a year since the incident with Sky High, and just as his mother said, Lash had been completely expelled from school when thrown in jail with Royal Pain and the gang. He'd gotten out only with the help of his father, who knew the best defense attorney ever. A story was made up about Lash being blackmailed to work with Royal Pain, and the jury had fallen for it. Not that he wasn't grateful at all.

But now he had to start over at a new school, a _public_ school for _normal_ people. People without powers.

**People**. **Without**. **Powers**.

It was a nightmare in Lash's mind, and he was dreading it.

"Stop sitting over there like your best friend just died." his mother snapped. "It's your own fault I'm taking you to this new school, your own fault you've ended up in this _civilian_ surrounding." She shook her head. "I cannot believe I had to resort to this. Do you know what your grandmother would say?"

Lash rolled his eyes for about the millionth time that morning, and a sharp smack to the back of his head reminded him of his mother's earlier command. He gave a sigh but said nothing. It was best not to talk to her when she ranted like so. And where did she get off telling him to stop moping? It was almost like his best friend _had _died. Speed was still in jail because his parents wanted him there; they wanted him to learn his lesson. Without Speed, Lash felt like a nobody. Without Speed, Lash had no friends at all.

"Cannot believe this." his mother repeated. "Do you know how lucky you are that your father wanted you out of jail?" She asked, turning to her son. "I swear to God, Joshua, if you put _one toe_ out of line this year, I will...ohh, I don't know what I'll do yet, but you will highly regret it."

Starting to roll his eyes again, Lash quickly closed them so she wouldn't see. He rested his head back against the headrest, and fingered the strap of his messenger bag which was slung over his legs, the bag secured at his feet. He knew he'd have trouble making new friends, for the mere fact that they were _normal people_, so a part of him was hoping that he wouldn't make any -- maybe he'd get through the school year quicker without any drama from them.

"Here we are." his mother said grumpily, and she pulled up to a curb.

Lash opened his eyes and peered out the window. On account of him being grounded since being released, his mom had come up here to register him herself and this was the first time he was seeing it. Shady Oaks High School consisted of three brick buildings, the one in the middle larger than the two on either side, and it was so old it looked like it'd been there since the dawn of time. Students littered the grounds, hanging with friends or rushing to get inside, and Lash gave a sigh again. This was going to be a long day.

"And god damnit, Joshua --" she always used his full first name when she was angry, "-- try to remember that you _must not_ use your powers. Do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, ma." he said dryly, throwing open the door.

"I mean it!" she said as though he didn't believe her. "If I find out you've been stretching one _pinky_ out too far, you will be sorry."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." he replied quickly, climbing out of the car.

"You're to meet me here directly after the bell rings, young man." she said to him as he pulled his bag out with him. "No...hoo-hahing around."

He made a face, scrunching up his nose at her choice of words, and nodded sarcastically before slamming the door shut. "You old hag." he said, before turning and starting for the middle building.

As he neared the double doors, he got many stares, most of them curious, some of them menacing. He made a face at a particularly bulky guy who was giving him the death glare, before disappearing inside. The hallways of Shady Oaks were dark and cool, and like the grounds, littered with students. The floor was made of marble, dark colors mixed together, and the lockers were dark green -- it was _much _different from Sky High.

With a deep breath, he started for the office, as his mother had told him to do the night before, to pick up his schedule.

* * *

"Can I help you?"

The girl sitting behind the secretary's desk looked nothing like a secretary -- in fact she looked to be no older than himself, so as Lash entered the office he was almost a bit confused. Reading the look on his face, she quickly laughed.

"Oh, don't worry, I don't work here." She said -- she had an airy and light way of speaking; a way too bubbly personality that made Lash's insides twist with disgust. "My aunt's the secretary, I'm just watching the desk for her for a moment. But I know everything about her job, so what's up?"

He sighed, and shifted his weight casually. "I'm new here." he said, "My mom came and registered me on Saturday."

"Oh, I hate starting a new school on a Monday." she said conversationally, as she turned towards the computer at the desk. "What's your name?"

"L -- Josh." he said. "Josh Ford."

She quickly typed something into the computer, brow furrowing as she read through stuff, and Lash threw a look around the office, drinking it in. It was a small, cozy kind of room, where there was only the one secretary desk. There was another desk behind it with a telephone on it, and behind that against the wall were the teacher's mailboxes.

"Here we go." the girl's voice knocked him from his observation and he turned back to her. "Joshua C. Ford?" she asked -- there must've been more than one.

"That's the one." he stated as though it were a death sentence, and she clicked on something.

The printer beside the computer stirred to life, and she turned to him as his schedule printed out. Her eyes moved down him briefly before coming back to his face.

"Where are you from?" she questioned.

"Maxville." he answered shortly.

"Why are you all the way in Shady Oaks?" she asked.

"Long story." he said.

She nodded, but didn't seem to take the hint that he didn't want to talk. "What grade are you in?" she asked.

"Eleventh."

She smiled -- her teeth were nearly perfect. "Me too." she said. "I'm Marion by the way; Marion Carter."

He nodded, beginning to bounce impatiently on the balls of his feet, but thankfully (for him), before she could speak again, the door behind the second desk opened, and a rather plump woman came out.

"Oh what's this?" she asked, quickly going to Marion's post -- this was the secretary.

"New student, Rosie." Marion said quickly, "But don't worry; got him all settled." She gracefully plucked the paper from the printer, as she rose from the wheely chair.

"Sometimes I wonder if letting you know everything about the school's database is a good thing." her aunt said, taking the seat when she'd moved. "You're lucky I trust you."

"No, you're lucky I'm so trustworthy." Marion said, coming around the desk with Lash's schedule. "Here we are, Josh." she said, holding it out to him.

He started to thank her quickly, wanting to get the Hell out of dodge, but the bell rang. Shit, there went his tour of the school before class actually started. Marion gestured to the paper Lash held.

"We're in the same first period; Marine Biology." she pointed out. "I could walk with you there -- might make things easier."

He gave a sigh, looking down at his schedule. Sure enough, his schedule said Marine Biology. He looked back up at Marion and finally took her in. Something about this girl screamed, 'I Have No Friends'. Her blond hair was wavy, and slightly messy, falling slightly past her shoulders, and her eyes were a dull green color. She was wearing a button-up sweater with rainbow stripes (which completely belonged in the trash or the thrift store), and a ripped up jean skirt, complete with hot pink pantyhose, and black moon boots. _Weird_ wasn't the word for her.

He gave a reluctant nod. "Yeah, I guess that'd be cool." he said.

She beamed. "Great." she said, "Let's go, Josh."

She started for the office door and he lightly touched her arm. The sweater was itchy against his fingers and he vaguely wondered how on Earth she managed to wear it, and she turned to him, raising a fine-thinned eyebrow.

"Don't call me Josh." he said. "I go by Lash."

She smirked. "That's kinda cute." she said, before bouncing from the office.

With a roll of his eyes, Lash followed. This was going to be a long day, indeed.

* * *

_You probably hate Marion, but I swear she'll get better. She's not as ditzy and airheaded as she seems. I know this was kind of short, but it's the first OFC fic I've ever written (I mostly stick to slash). Comments?_


	2. Chapter 02

_Dare I say I'm slightly surprised on the amount of positive feedback I got. Thank you for all the reviews. _

* * *

**As The Tables Turn  
Chapter Two**

"Now, I don't know about your old school, but Shady Oaks operates on an A Day/B Day schedule."

Lash lagged slightly behind Marion as they walked down the hallway, away from the office. Her too-cheery mood wasn't as annoying as he'd first thought, he got quite used to it and tolerant of it. He gave a sigh, and she glanced over her shoulder at him.

"What about lunch?" he asked.

She smirked. "Lunch goes on during third period, you have either A, B, C, or D lunch -- depending on what class you're in." She sounded so professional at this, he wondered how many students she'd welcomed before.

"How do I know if I have A lunch?" he questioned -- he didn't want to show up for third period and see that everyone was already at lunch; he'd look like an idiot.

"A lunch is for Science classes and Art classes." she said. "B for English and History. C for Math and Business Education. And D for Gym and Foreign Language."

He nodded, half amused as he caught sight of a couple, the girl leaning against the locker, her boyfriend's tongue halfway down her throat. He watched them for a moment, slightly amazed that they'd get so intense in clear few of everyone -- if their clothes had been off they'd have been having sex. When he turned back around he found they'd reached double doors that led to a staircase. He inwardly groaned; he hated stairs.

Surprisingly, Marion had fallen silent as she started to ascend the stairs, and Lash turned her over in his mind. She was _kind of_ cute when she kept her mouth shut, and if she was the only one who was willing to be his friend, he'd have to deal with it. Sliding his hand over the railing of the stairs, his fingers brushed over what felt like chewed gum, and he cringed, snapping his hand back, and holding it with the other as though it'd been burned. Then he lifted his gaze.

He was met with quite the sight -- or so the teenager with raging hormones in him thought -- as his face was practically completely level with Marion's backside. He was a guy, he'd look at anything.

"Ugh, I hope you didn't take a foreign language." Marion said as they reached the top of the stairs. "This is only the second floor and you saw how many stairs it was -- language classes are on the third floor."

Her eyes widened slightly as she said 'third floor' for emphasis, and he found himself snorting, trying to contain his laughter. She reminded him remotely of a little kid.

"I'm serious." she said, "Try running all the way up to French with only the three minutes they give you in between classes with high heels on."

They started into a hallway with a small sign above the door that read, 'Science Department', and Lash looked around briefly.

"Don't wear high heels then." he said.

It was as if she had never even thought of this. "Good idea." she said. She shook her head though, and grinned. "But I'm out of French anyway; three years was enough for me."

"You took it for three years?" he asked. "I wouldn't have lasted one."

She was beaming again, as though excited to have gotten him to open up to her. "Yep," she said. "Eighth, ninth, and tenth -- didn't learn crap."

He smirked, but she'd suddenly stopped at a doorway, and turned to him.

"Ta da, Marine Biology." she said. "This class is really easy."

He nodded and she turned, sweeping into the room. He followed, not so jovially, and slowly neared the teacher's desk, as Marion took her seat. The teacher looked to be in his late forties, early fifties, and he was glaring at the screen of his laptop, brow furrowed in concentration. Lash looked around at the classroom, which was decorated with pictures and posters of oceans and bays -- he found a diagram of a tigerhead shark which he studied briefly.

"Oh, oh," the teacher clearly just noticed him. "I'm sorry about that; yes?"

"Uh, I'm..new." Lash said, before holding out his schedule.

The older man took it from him and looked over it before nodding. "Alright then," he said, "Let's get you put on the class list. Joshua?" he glanced up. "Do you prefer to be called anything like Josh?"

"Actually it's Lash." he answered, "Rarely anyone calls me Josh." He prepared himself to say thisover and over to all of his other teachers.

"Hmm, interesting." his teacher said, typing something into the computer. "Okay, Lash," he finally said, handing the schedule back. "Why don't you find an empty seat and I'll get you the course syllabus and whatnot."

Lash nodded, and turned surveying the rest of the class, who were all studying him intently. Marion gave him a smile, and he found himself actually returning it before moving to the back of the class. He wasn't eager for new friends, but for some reason, he could really see himself hanging out with a misfit like her.

* * *

"I noticed you don't have a calculator, you could use mine."

Lash glanced up from the Algebra work he was supposed to be doing. First day in his third period Algebra II class and his bitch of a teacher was making him do the drill ("I imagine that since you're here you can obviously do work"). A short, scrawny kid was standing by his desk holding his graphing calculator as though it were an infant. His dark brown hair was styled into a bowlcut, and his glasses were large and round -- did Lash just have, "I Like Nerds!" written on his forehead or something.

"Nah, you don't have to let me." he said with a sigh. "I'll figure it out sooner or later."

The kid pulled the chair back of the empty desk next to Lash quickly, ignoring the scrape it made on the floor and sat down, shaking his head.

"No trouble, no trouble." he said, setting it on Lash's desk. "I'm already done, and I could help if you like."

Lash studied the kid for a moment before finally nodding. This was Hell -- if he were back in Sky High he'd end up stuffing this kid in a locker. "Yeah, that'd be cool then. Thanks."

"I'm Morgan." he said, extending a hand and using the other to push his classes up the bridge of his nose.

Lash slowly took the smaller hand, and shook it slightly. "Lash."

And that was how his second friendship started.

* * *

Like Marion had said, Math classes had C lunch, and Lash wandered slowly to the cafeteria with Morgan, who stereotypically carried a brown paper bag with his food. As they entered the cafeteria, Lash ducked to narrowly avoid being hit by a flying milk carton, traveling towards the trash can. A teacher who'd been on lunch duty whirled on a jock-looking guy as Lash and Morgan passed.

"You'll get used to stuff like that." Morgan rambled, "Guys like him are always getting in trouble for petty stuff like that; and if they start picking on you, don't worry -- just take it cause eventually, they'll stop."

Lash rolled his eyes when Morgan wasn't looking, but suddenly the shorter boy stopped, taking in a quick breath. Lash looked at him quickly, thinking something was wrong -- maybe he had asthma.

"There she is." Morgan replied in a dreamy voice.

Lash followed the boy's gaze and saw none other than Marion sitting at a table in a corner by herself, reading something that lay on the table. He turned back to Morgan who seemed to be in a daze.

"How do I look?" Morgan asked, patting at his hair.

Lash fought the urge to laugh, and kept his tone as neutral as he could. "Very..uh..suave." he said, nodding for emphasis.

Morgan smiled and started walking again, making a beeline for Marion's table. When Lash and he reached it, Marion looked up, and smiled.

"Lash," she said brightly. "Hi Morgan."

"Hi Marion." he replied, sliding quickly into a chair next to her as Lash pulled out the one across from her.

"Are you two in class together?" she asked.

Lash nodded, but Morgan was already changing the subject.

"Marion, my dad got me a new pair of binoculars over the weekend." he said. "You should come over to see them."

She shook her head, and Lash could tell that she was trying to be as polite as possible (something Morgan couldn't). "You know I don't like bird-watching, Morgan." she said.

Lash smirked, but kept silent. Morgan shifted almost excitedly.

"But guess what." he said. "Yesterday I think I saw a golden-crowned sparrow in my backyard."

She nodded, raising her eyebrows slightly, but had gone back to reading.

"They live in Western Canada!" Morgan exclaimed, before all but tearing open his lunch bag in excitement.

Marion raised her gaze to meet Lash's and they both shared a small smile, before Lash nodded at the magazine she was reading.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Weekly World News." she replied happily.

He glanced at the article she was reading and sure enough saw a picture of the one they called Batboy -- apparently Batboy'd found Osama Bin Laden's hideout -- that magazine was good for a few laughs.

"Why do you read that?" he asked.

She laughed a little. "I don't know," she admitted. "I've liked it since I can remember. I guess because it's just so stupid."

"She wants to write for them." Morgan said, eyes watering from the large hunk of peanut butter and jelly he'd swallowed quickly to point that out.

Marion's cheeks pinkened only slightly. "Well, I meant if I can't find anything else to do with my life," she said quietly.

Lash smirked, liking this shy version of Marion. It was much better than the business-like one he'd met early in the morning. He was actually kind of glad he'd met her now.

* * *

Lash groaned with relief as he finally left his fourth period class, US History. The sky had cleared up, and it was resolutely sunny now as he made his way from the double doors he'd entered that morning. His mother's BMW wasn't at the curb yet and he rolled his eyes; leave it to her to tell him to be there exactly after the bell rang -- the old hag.

A doofy sounding laugh came from his right, followed by a familiar airy voice saying, "Come on guys, knock it off."

He turned to see Morgan on his hands and knees on the ground, glasses-less, with three brute-like guys standing around him, one of them holding said glasses. Marion was standing somewhat near, hugging her books to her chest, but looking equally nervous of these guys.

"Or what?" the one holding Morgan's glasses asked, "What are you gonna do about it, Blondie?"

An irrational annoyance bubbled over in Lash's gut. Sure they weren't the coolest of people, and they could get irritating at times, but Morgan and Marion had become his friends. They were nice and didn't deserve to be picked on like so. Lash dropped his bag and went to stretch for Morgan's glasses, but his mother's voice snapped in his head like a light switch.

_"-- try to remember that you _must not_ use your powers."_

He gave a sigh, hating what the good side of him was telling him to do, before he slowly neared the gaggle of guys.

"Alright guys, split it up." he said, "Give him his glasses back."

From behind one of the bullies, Marion beamed -- she did it quite often, but this time Lash felt a sense of pride at it. The bully holding Morgan's glasses gave a skeptical snort.

"What are _you_ gonna do about it?" he asked.

"Well, seeing as there's only one of me, and three of you, I doubt I'd be able to do anything right away." Lash replied -- time to bluff, "But seeing as I have about three friends who were just released from jail, I know I'd be able to something in the long run."

He was studied intently for a few moments before the one with the glasses cocked his head at him. "You're lying."

Lash smirked. "Why do you think I'm a new student here?" he asked, "I was kicked out of my old school to be put in jail."

The lead bully snorted again, sounding very much like a horse before he shook his head and dropped Morgan's glasses on the ground.

"Whatever man," he said, "It's not even worth my time."

With a gesture of his hand, he turned and his two friends quickly followed, one of them giving Marion the look down, and moving forward as though he were going to hit her. She naturally flinched, and he laughed before they disappeared.

Lash bent and helped Morgan to his feet, while Marion swept his glasses from the ground. She quickly handed them to the smaller boy, and he thanked Lash while wiping the lens on the bottom of his plain tee shirt.

"Don't mention it, man." he said. "You guys just let them do that stuff to you?"

Marion made a face, but said nothing and Morgan nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Like I said, they'll stop...eventually."

Marion reached over and plucked a blade of grass from Morgan's hair and he gushed at her. She pretended to ignore it and glanced at Lash.

"Were you really in jail?" she questioned curiously.

He nodded, "Sadly." he answered.

"And do you really have friends were just released?" Morgan asked.

Lash grinned, and shook his head. "No." he said, "I only have about one friend, and he's still in there."

Morgan seemed impressed, while Marion pursed her lips together.

"That's _awesome_!" Morgan exclaimed; he was obviously excited at the fact of having an ex-prisoner as a friend.

Marion suddenly threw a look around the emptying grounds, and shifted her books. "I have to catch my bus," she said, "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Morgan and Lash said their goodbyes, and she started briskly towards the road where a line of yellow buses waited. Lash looked back to the curb where he'd been dropped off and sighed -- his mother was there.

"Don't you ride a bus?" he asked, going back to retrieve his messenger bag.

Morgan shook his head. "Nope," he said, "I walk."

Lash nodded, "Well I got to go, kid." he said, "I'll see you later."

"Bye Lash." Morgan said in his over-excited tone, it was kind of cute in an endearing way.

Smirking, Lash made his way to his mother's car. Maybe his experience at Shady Oaks wouldn't be so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 03

_Everyone reviewing, you guys rock. Thanks so much._

* * *

**As The Tables Turn**

**Chapter Three**

Lash climbed out of his mother's car the next day, almost forgetting to grab his bag before he shut the door. His alarm clock had decided it didn't want to work, and his mother had woken him up not five minutes before they had to leave. She'd probably done it on purpose, but he'd never accuse her of it. Just as he was shutting the door, he was able to hear the bell from inside, signaling time for first period. He cursed under his breath and started towards the doors, yanking his schedule from his pocket. He hadn't even had time to try and find Morgan or Marion to see what classes they had.

He wouldn't admit out loud, probably ever, but he liked them -- a little. It was weird, but around them, he felt like he didn't have to impress anybody. In a school full of superheroes, you were stuck spending a lot of the time trying to find out who had the stronger powers. And then the other time was spent trying to prove to others why your power was better. In Sky High you couldn't be too sure about your friends, because maybe they were only your friends because they liked your powers.

As he started up a set of stairs inside, his mind jumped to Speed. Lash hadn't seen him since he'd got out of jail, and he wouldn't lie; he missed the other boy. His parents sure as Hell didn't want them hanging out, so if he mentioned a visit to them they'd probably ground him for even longer. He regretted ever helping out Royal Pain, not because of a change of heart or anything like that, but because he couldn't use the internet unless it was school-related, he couldn't watch TV, he couldn't go _anywhere_, and his cell phone had been taken away.

He rolled his eyes as he entered the classroom he'd be spending first period B days in -- Astronomy. There were only about thirteen students in the whole class and they were Morgan's type of people. Lash sighed as he walked up to the teacher's desk; Shady Oaks would be the death of him.

* * *

English was second period, oh whoopee. First period had been a complete drag, the only highlight being that they were watching a movie on sunspots which meant for Lash -- naptime. Entering the second class of the day, still blinking back his grog, he almost didn't recognize Marion when he saw her. She wore a black Go-Go's tee shirt that made her blend in with everyone else considering what she'd been wearing yesterday. When she caught sight of him from her seat in the back of the room, she threw him a wave, and smiled brightly.

Something inside of Lash seemed to swell up, but he ignored it and nodded at her, allowing a small smirk to fix upon his lips. Then he went to the teacher who was standing at the blackboard, scribbling some kind of drill.

She noticed Lash and quickly dropped the piece of chalk, wiping her hands on the thighs of her black dress pants. "Hello there," she said cheerily. "New student?"

He nodded, and held out his schedule. The elderly woman grabbed it lightly, and turned to the desk grabbing the grade/attendance book to add him to the class list.

"Josh," she said, before cocking an eyebrow up at him, "I'm sure you're sick of hearing this, but do you go by anything else?"

"Yeah actually; Lash." he said quickly.

"L-a-s-h?" she wanted to make sure, and he nodded, before she quickly added that to the list.

As she filled in his student I.D. and all that fun stuff, he looked around. The desks, which were set up in groups of two, went back in three even rows, and most of them were full up. Marion was sitting near the back in the middle row, and as he'd have thought, the desk next to her was empty. She smiled at him again, seeming excited to have him in yet another class.

"Alright Lash," the teacher said, regaining his attention. "I'm Mrs. Marzac, and obviously I'll be your English teacher for the rest of the semester." she handed him back his schedule, and flipped through her book to a seating chart. "Let's find you somewhere to sit." She glanced around the room to find a chipper-looking Marion and she turned to Lash. "How about we sit you next to Marion; she's the best in the class and I'm sure she could help you out since you're new and have yet to get settled." She smiled. "And you seem to know her."

She must've noticed the way he'd relaxed slightly, and he nodded, before she bent to write that down in her book. She straightened and looked to the board.

"Since this in your first class and all," she said, "I doubt you'd be able to answer these questions -- did you have to read Death of a Salesman at your old school?"

Lash shook his head, but remained silent. She nodded, and gave him a small smile again.

"Well I guess we can let today's drill slip." she said, "Just have a seat and relax for a bit."

He turned and quickly made his way to the back of the room. As he reached the two desks where Marion was situated, he almost stopped in his tracks. So much for looking considerably normal -- Marion was wearing the ugliest pants he'd ever seen. They were tight to about the ankles and were a fluorescent shade of a hot magenta -- they were almost blinding. He bit his tongue to keep from commenting and quickly slid into the seat beside her.

"Glad to see you're in another one of my classes," she said brightly, though keeping her tone quiet.

"You and I both." he replied setting his bag on the desk. "God I hate having to do the whole new student thing."

She smirked, and looked down to continue answering the drill questions. Lash threw a small look around to see that everyone else had chosen not to do it -- Marion had been stuck in a class full of sport-os and stoners. Perfect.

"What level English is this?" Lash asked out of the side of his mouth.

A small laugh came from her. "Believe it or not this is a level three class." she said, then her tone lowered. "See, the people here are the type who do nothing in class until the end of the semester when we take finals. Then they magically pass with flying colors."

He nodded, but didn't know what to say. He didn't want to look at her because those damned pants distracted him -- how could anyone _like_ them? Finally, he couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Why the Hell are you wearing those pants?" he asked in a hushed tone.

She burst out laughing, and he tensed as the whole class turned to look at them. He felt an unnatural heat crawl up his neck, and he gave glares to a few of the people looking. The teacher however, was completely engrossed in whatever she was doing. Marion calmed down and raised her eyebrows at him, before tugging at one of his sleeves.

"Why are you wearing striped sleeves?" she questioned.

Lash shrugged and without thinking answered, "Because I like them."

She grinned, before going back to work and he found himself rolling his eyes, and once again asking himself how anyone could like those pants. As she was finishing her work, he found himself watching what she was writing. Her handwriting was swirly and big, reflecting her always cheerful mood -- and the answers sounded extremely intelligent. It was practically sickening; she was probably a straight A student, and had probably been one since grade school.

She dropped her pen and turned to him, eyes lighting up just slightly. "It's good you're here," she said, "Mrs. Marzac said we'd be starting a project soon -- where we could pick partners." She paused briefly, gaze flickering down. "I usually work by myself," she said slowly, "But now that you're in my class you could work with me."

He smirked. "You automatically assume I'd want to be your partner." he said.

For a split second she was offended, but as he cocked an eyebrow at her, she realized he was joking and laughed again. Only about one or two people looked this time, but Lash ignored them.

"What's the project?" he asked, sliding down in his seat some and stretching his legs out in front of him.

She shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted. "I bet it has something to do with the book we're gonna start today."

"Which is?"

"The Grapes of Wrath."

Lash groaned in the back of his throat. He'd never read it, but he'd heard enough to not want to read it.

"Oh come on," Marion said, lightly hitting his arm. "It's a great piece of American literature; it's a classic, it's --" her voice trailed off at the skeptic look he was giving her and she grinned. "Well okay, it's about three hundred pages longer than it needs to be."

He grinned, but they both fell silent as Mrs. Marzac stood up. She neared them quickly, pulling at the ring of keys she kept hooked to her beltloop -- almost reminiscent of a security guard, which made Lash think of Speed again -- he'd _have_ to find a way to visit him sooner or later.

"Oh, good Marion -- you're done. I knew you would be." Mrs. Marzac held up one of the keys to the blonde, and sighed. "I hate to do this to you, but I was supposed to pick up a few books from the storage room earlier. I didn't get around to it, but I need them for today's class."

Marion took the key almost happily. "No problem." she said standing up.

Lash's eyes almost widened in horror at the pants, but he ignored the color for a moment to appreciate how tight they were on her.

"Now, let's see -- you'll need someone to help you with them." Mrs. Marzac looked around to find someone else who was done.

"Uh, I'll do it." Lash said shortly.

She glanced at him while Marion smiled in slight gratitude; it was obvious she hadn't wanted any of the other people coming with her. Stoner or sport-o -- definitely a no-no.

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Marzac asked, "It's your first day."

He nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah." he stood up. "I don't mind at all." Truth be told, _he_ didn't want to be stuck with the rest of the class either.

"Great." Mrs. Marzac said to him, then to Marion. "Grapes of Wrath, alright?" Marion nodded. "I don't know how many are in there, there should be a box somewhere -- I want them all, but don't hurt yourselves."

They both nodded, and Mrs. Marzac went back to her desk. Marion threw a raised eyebrow at Lash before they started for the door. Outside the classroom, the hallway was dark and empty, and again Lash mused to himself over the extreme differences between Sky High and Shady Oaks.

"Thanks for coming with me." Marion said lightly as she led him to the storage room. "I would've hated to see who she'd pick if not."

He shrugged casually, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Better than sitting there doing nothing." he said.

She smirked to herself and unlocked the heavy door, before pushing it open. She stepped aside to let him in first, but for one of the first times in his life, Lash did something _nice _and _gentlemanly_ -- he gestured for her to go first. As she did, he shook his head at himself. If only the people at Sky High could see him now; he'd never hear the end of it.

"Does she always make you do things for her?" he asked as they moved into the dimly lit room.

Shelves lined the walls, and old, dusty books lined the shelves. Marion grinned as she squinted at the books, trying to find the right one.

"She doesn't _make_ me." she said, "I like doing things for her; she's the nicest teacher here, that's for sure."

He nodded, but didn't say anything as he followed slowly behind her. He wasn't looking for The Grapes of Wrath, instead leaving her to find it on her own -- no more nice and gentlemanly for him. Marion let out a short groan-like noise, and he glanced at her. Her gaze was locked on the highest shelf where, lo-and-behold, sat the Steinbeck classic.

"You'd think with it being in the curriculum they'd have it down lower." Marion grumbled to herself as she went to find something to stand on.

Lash grinned -- if this girl's biggest problem was not reaching a book or two in school, she seriously needed to get out more. His gaze returned to the two small stacks of books, and he wished that he was able to use his powers, just this once. Not only would he get the books, but it might even impress Marion -- he quickly pushed that thought from his mind. The last thing he needed was a crush on a weird, _normal_ girl.

A sigh and Marion returned, walking like she was bowlegged as she carried a chair in front of her. She set it down in front of the shelf, and brushed the dust from it, before looking around again. She grabbed an empty box from the floor and handed it to Lash, but said nothing. Then she climbed up onto the chair.

One of the legs was slightly shorter than the rest, and it wobbled. She let out a short noise and grabbed the back of the chair as if she'd fall a million feet into lava if she were to slip.

"Lash," she said, "Could you hold the chair for me -- wobbly chairs scare the crap out of me."

His brow furrowed and he grabbed the back of the chair with one hand, the empty box in the other. "Are you serious?" he asked.

"Don't judge me." she said, straightening and reaching for the top shelf.

The magenta pants blinded Lash again and he raised his eyebrows. _Already have_. A moment later two books fell from the shelf and landed into the box, almost taking it completely out of Lash's loose grasp.

"Hey," he said, "Next time give me warning or something."

She glanced down and flashed him a small grin, before dropping some more books into the box. He rolled his eyes, and found his gaze wandering. He vaguely wished that she was wearing what she had been the day before; that skirt had been reasonably short. She suddenly turned, and he quickly averted his gaze.

"That's all of them." she said, sounding accomplished.

Lash glanced down at the box; it'd looked like so much more when they were on the shelf. "I hope she has more in the classroom." he said -- there definitely wasn't enough.

Marion shrugged and started to step down from the chair. The cheap boots she was wearing however, didn't have a good enough grip on the plastic chair, and she started to fall. Lash's first instinct was to step out of the way and let her land on her face; but she was his 'friend'; so instead he decided to try and catch her. But he spent too much time thinking about it, and not enough time actually doing it.

She fell into him and like in the movies, they toppled to the ground together with her on top. Books flew from the box as Lash let go of it, and unintentionally placed his hands on her hips. A sharp pain in his back erupted as it made contact with the floor and he winced slightly.

She placed her hands on his chest, and took a deep breath.

"Wow," she said, "Good thing you were here."

Lash made a face. "Well gee thanks," he said, "Glad I could be of service."

"I'm just kidding," she said with a laugh. "But thanks -- it wouldn't have felt too good to do a face-dive in here."

He shrugged as best as he could on the floor. "Don't mention it." He said.

A silence blanketed them and they were left staring at each other. It was then that Lash realized how close they actually were; their bodies were pressed tightly together, and the fact that he could feel her heartbeat stirred something in him, a feeling of sorts.

His eyes suddenly widened -- it wasn't a feeling that was stirring, it was something else. Marion mirrored him, her eyes widening as well -- apparently she could feel it too.

"Get up, get up!" he squawked, and she jumped up.

He scrambled to his feet, and turned away from her, shoulders squared and cheeks burning. This was not how he wanted to appear around her; he didn't need to embarrass himself like so, what was wrong with him? Normally he was calm and collected, normally he wasn't so..._excited_.

He slowly looked down and sighed irritably.Then he glanced over his shoulder at her. Marion was hugging herself, and although her back was to him, it was obvious in her body language how embarrassed she was too. He lowered his gaze mindlessly and discovered how low her pants were; her shirt had been pulled up in the chaos, and the top of a pair of white panties were showing.

As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Marion pulled her shirt down, and Lash spun back to facing the wall, mentally kicking himself. Looking at some chick's rear was not helping the situation.

"I'm sorry." she said quickly, and it almost sounded robotic.

He glanced over his shoulder again to find her looking at him; her cheeks were flushed like his, as if she'd been the one whose body had reacted. He tried to play it casual and shrugged again. "Don't be." he said. "It happens all the time." He closed his eyes and sighed. "I mean, it doesn't happen _all_ the time." he said. "I mean, I don't walk around and randomly sport it or anything. I just...it wasn't because of you or anything."

She nodded slowly, and a half-smirk played on her lips. "Storage rooms are just that exciting, huh?"

He felt his face flush again, and he spun once more, letting out a noise that could've been considered a growl of sorts.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Marion said quickly. "Not helping."

She dropped to the floor and started gathering the books that had spilled as Lash tried to take even breaths. He tried to think of anything that would reverse the project; baseball. A guy's running around the field, yeah. Nothing exciting about that. But then he thought of Marion playing baseball.

"There we go." Marion said, her normal bright facade coming back to her as she stood, and picked up the box.

Without another word she started for the door.

"What are you doing!" Lash exclaimed.

She looked at him as if he'd grown three more heads. "Going back to class."

"We can't!" he hissed.

"Why not?"

He gestured to his lower half with an annoyed snort, and she seemed incredulous.

"It's not gone yet?" she asked.

He sighed, and rolled his eyes. "It doesn't exactly go away on it's own terms." he said.

"So what, you have to coax it or something?" she asked.

Lash groaned. "Please, Marion -- stop talking." he said. "This is embarrassing enough as it is."

Marion sighed, but said nothing, looking at the floor. Lash closed his eyes, and forced her out of his mind. The next person to appear was Speed. His best friend no doubt, but a disgusting slob of a guy. He remembered this one time when Speed had entered a pie-eating contest; God did Lash want to throw up that day -- and he hadn't even been in the contest. It'd been so gross to watch all those overly obese people scarfing down pies of every flavor.

When Lash opened his eyes and looked down, he let out a small sigh of relief. He glanced back at Marion who was now sitting in the wobbly chair that had caused all this mess, box in her lap and looking quite bored. Lash wondered how long he'd spent trying to get rid of the unwanted company, but said nothing as he started for the door.

"It's gone?" Marion asked from the chair.

Without turning to her he said, "This gets repeated to _no one_."

* * *

After the incident in the storage room, it'd been hard for Lash to get comfortable around Marion again, and by the time English had ended, he'd been glad.

"Maybe I'll see you later." she'd said with a sympathetic look.

Lash had mumbled something of the like, before hurrying off to find his third period. Since he had Art, he had A lunch. He crossed his fingers and hoped to find Morgan there, but after at least five minutes of searching the whole cafeteria, he found no sight of the bird-watcher.

"Hey."

He turned to see a girl sitting by herself at a table. She was one of those stereotypical mall goths, dressed in black bondage pants and a Cradle of Filth shirt. Her hair which had been dyed black (and whoever had done it had done a horrible job) was in a messy ponytail, and a large nosering glinted on her right nostril. Lash almost wrinkled his nose at her -- didn't the black lipstick go out of style in the early nineties?

"You're friends with Rainbow Brite and the birdboy, aren't you?" she asked.

She had a way of talking that could drive a person mad; like she was some sort of badass. The nosering was probably fake.

"So what if I am?" he asked defensively.

She smirked. "Just wondering, man -- chill out." She studied him for a moment. "They really aren't the type of people I'd expect you to be hanging out with."

"You don't know anything about me." Lash sneered.

Still smirking she shook her head. "No, I guess not." she said, "But I do know that if you continue to hang out with them, you're in for a world of trouble, man."

He rolled his eyes. "What? Are you my trouble?" he asked.

"I'm just trying to help you out." she said. "Before you know it the jocks'll be shoving _you _in lockers, and locking _you _into janitor closets."

"They were locked in closets?" he asked.

"Not him." the goth answered, "That I know of. But I saw Andy Riley lock her in a closet. A teacher had asked her to get something for him, and Andy stole the keys and shoved her in there." she laughed in glee at this memory. "She knocked for hours."

Lash paused, unable to know if he should believe her or not. "And you didn't let her out?" he asked.

"I didn't have keys." the stranger replied, "And I was far too comfortable to find someone with a set."

Lash snorted and shook his head, but he didn't know what to say. He didn't know anything about this girl, but he didn't want to. He turned and started to walk away.

"Can't say I didn't warn you!" she called after him.

He left the cafeteria and headed for the library, gritting his teeth because he knew the reason he didn't like that girl was because her attitude reminded him of himself.

* * *

Lash sighed as he sat down on the bench in the locker room. Fourth period, gym class -- how exciting. He'd already talked to the teacher, Coach Houser. He was a rough man with dark skin and had a habit of spitting when he talked. He'd told Lash that even if he didn't have a uniform he'd have to participate today. Lash'd wanted to get away from this man so much he'd forgotten to say he preferred to be called Lash -- this would be fun.

"You're in this class!"

An overly-excited voice made him jump, and he spun to find Morgan pulling one of the Shady Oaks gym shirts over his head at a locker a few feet away. Lash felt a smirk come to his face -- at least he knew someone.

"Guess so." he said, sliding down the bench until he was closer to Morgan. "I'm glad to see a familiar face here."

Morgan nodded quickly and shut the locker he was at -- he was already wearing the ugly maroon shorts that were a part of their uniforms. He sat down next to Lash to retie his shoes.

"Is Coach Houser really as hard as he seems?" Lash asked.

Morgan made a face. "If you aren't good at sports he is." he said gloomily. "He hates me just because I have asthma."

Lash almost laughed; this kid was perfect. What was it with Shady Oaks and their stereotypes? Morgan suddenly brightened.

"But guess what," he said. "Marion's in this class too."

The memory of second period flooded back to him and Lash's stomach knotted up. "Oh...great." he said, but Morgan didn't notice the unease in his tone.


	4. Chapter 04

_Sorry it took so long, my computer was down for quite a while (and I've been recooperating after fourteen hours of music at Ozzfest -- sunburn city baby). Thanks so much for all your kind words, and I hope you continue to enjoy the fic._

* * *

**As The Tables Turn  
Chapter Four**

Lash followed Morgan out into the brightly lit gym, and he wrinkled his nose at the smell. It was one of those indescribable smells that came from the wood that was used for the floor. As he stuck close to the smaller boy's side, he swept his gaze around the vast room. The girls were separated from the boys, and everyone had to sit in their 'spot' on the floor when they left the locker room. Marion was actually hard to spot among the others because of having to wear such a bland uniform, but Morgan seemed to notice her right away, turning into Swoony McDreamster.

As Morgan sat down in his spot, Lash realized he needed to wait for Coach Houser to seat him, so he went and stood in front of the rest of the boys who were seated -- Coach Houser was still in the locker room. A woman coach with short hair and manly features was talking to a few of the girls, who were no doubt in Lash's mind, whining about their hair and nails. A waving hand took his attention, and he fought off the blush that was threatening his cheeks as he met Marion's gaze.

Her hair was in a very clumsy ponytail, but she looked completely different -- she'd have to wear it up more often. She seemed to not even remember the storage room fiasco, so he waved back shortly to her, before her attention was called by the female coach. As if on cue, Coach Houser appeared, clipboard in hand to seat him.

Minutes later, he was seated in the very back of the group, finding his eyes attached to the back of Marion's head. She seemed to be dancing with herself (_Billy Idol fans, anyone?_), head bopping slightly to music nobody could hear, but she went ignored by everyone. Weird wasn't the word for her, but Lash actually liked that. It was nice to see someone with a streak of insanity in them like that. And if it wasn't insanity he didn't know what else to call it.

"Basketball!" Coach Houser snapped, spit flying as he gained attention from both the boys and the girls. "I'm sure everyone here knows the fundamentals of it; and if you don't you should get out of this class now."

A girl with an eyebrow ring raised her hand, and he cocked his head at her.

"Um, like -- don't we need this class to graduate?" she asked.

_Keep talking like that_, Lash thought, _And you'll never graduate_.

As Coach Houser answered her question and then started rambling, Lash slowly looked towards Marion again. The female coach had disappeared -- it wasn't her class, they just needed a supervisor in the girls' locker room. Marion'd stopped her slight headbanging and was now tracing designs on the floor with an index finger. Morgan was waving his hand shortly, keeping it lowered, and looking back up at the coach every now and then, trying to get her attention -- wasn't working.

"Now," Coach interrupted Lash's thoughts. "Today is merely practice; for fun as some of you would call it. No rules, just game. And Shady Oaks, since they strive to be different, have me teaching you basketball _and_ volleyball in the same week. So today, you'll be playing the game of your choice for recreation."

It was like a broken record almost, and Lash rolled his eyes. Shady Oaks strove to be different? Different would've been a round of Save the Citizen. God how he missed that game.

"So let's get started." Coach Houser said, glancing at them. "First, let's get it settled who'll be playing what? Basketball on this side of the gym, volleyball on this one." He gestured to both sides as he spoke.

Immediately, people got up and started to scramble. Lash straightened, brushing his pants off, and going towards Morgan who was instinctively heading towards Marion. Most of the girls had rushed to the volleyball nets that were set up, while the boys seemed to prefer basketball.

"Hi Marion." Morgan said brightly.

She smiled. "Morgan." her eyes flickered to Lash. "Not another class."

He smirked half-assedly, before gesturing to the gym. "What are you guys in for?"

"Well not basketball -- those guys are jerks." Morgan said.

"Eh, I hate volley -- " Marion started to say.

"Basketball it is then." Morgan said before turning and starting towards the male dominated side of the gym.

Lash grinned to himself as he and Marion lagged behind, and he side-glanced the blonde.

"Is he always this excitable?" he asked.

Marion nodded, then smirked. "I can think of someone else who's just a tad excitable."

He stopped in his tracks and she turned to him, quirking an eyebrow as if she saw nothing wrong in what she'd just said.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." she said quickly after he just stared at her. "I can't help but talk about it -- I was flattered."

He snorted and started walking again, and she followed quickly. "I don't care how flattered you were." he said. "I'd like it if you forgot about it."

She sighed, but she nodded, and no more words were spoken as Coach Houser pulled a small cart of basketballs out of the closet.

"You know the basics." he snapped to a group of muscleheads who were snickering about something. "If I see any rough-housing you're out for the rest of the day."

And without so much as another word, he started for the girls with some volleyballs in his hands. Everyone made a dash for the basketballs, and Lash started to reach for one from his spot, but realized what he was doing and froze. That wasn't such a good idea either, because now he was just standing there with an arm out in front of him. Marion raised her eyebrows while Morgan's furrowed, and Lash gave a slight laugh, wiggling his fingers and pretending to crack his wrist. This 'no powers' bullshit was _hard_.

Few minutes later, the three of them had one slightly deflated ball (the last one left), and a rusty hoop to play with for the rest of the class. Morgan was struck with the sudden need to relieve himself, so he scampered off to Coach Houser to get him to unlock the locker room for him. Marion had the ball and was dribbling it as best as she could, but her mind seemed elsewhere's as she hummed lightly to herself. Lash didn't even think it was a real song she was humming, but hey, whatever floated her boat.

"Mind passing the ball?" Lash asked. "I would like to participate today."

She rolled her eyes. "As if anyone would want to participate in this class." she said.

"You are."

She smirked. "I have to." she said. "Gotta keep my G.P.A."

He rolled _his_ eyes this time, and snatched the ball from her hands before making a shot. She put her hands on her hips, and cocked an eyebrow, while he tried not to notice the way this stance pushed her chest out. He did _not_ need a repeat of second period.

"Two points." he said to her before quickly catching the ball as it slid through the net.

"Didn't know we were playing for points." she said.

He started dribbling and shrugged casually. "Well now you do." he said.

She shook her head, but was smiling. "Alright." she said. "I bet I can beat you."

He pushed his lips out and made a noise reminiscent to a raspberry. "Yeah right," he said. "You couldn't beat me if I was blindfolded."

"I wouldn't make such assumptions, Joshua." she said, and in his moment of irritation at his real name, she took the ball back, and shot.

He rolled his eyes as it slid through the net and she caught it again, moving away from him.

"Pure luck." he said.

She shrugged dramatically and started dribbling again. "Alright, alright," she said, watching the ball. "That time didn't count; neither did your goal. Let's start over and come up with some rules for this little one-on-one thing."

Lash crossed his thin arms over his chest and raised a brow as he watched her. She seemed to think she was hotshit with that ball; and he wouldn't admit to her that she was actually pretty good. Who would've thought?

"Okay," he said, "Rule number one, there are no rules."

He made a move for the ball and she spun, keeping her back to him. He followed closely behind her for a moment as she slowly neared the net, ball bouncing, and smirking at the only rule he'd decided on, he reached around and hit her arm with light force. She protested, but he'd gotten a hold of the ball and shot, sinking it into the net again. He loved the fact that his dad had been almost a pro.

"No rules, sweetheart." he said, grabbing the ball before it hit the floor.

She smirked. "Well aren't you Rico Suave?" she asked.

Suave made him think of Morgan, and he looked around to see if the kid was coming back yet. Marion suddenly bumped into him with her hip harshly, and he went sprawling to the floor, dropping the ball in surprise. She quickly grabbed it and made another basket (almost missing when it hit the backboard, but fortunately for her it fell in). When she caught it, she placed it on her hip, and looked down at him -- he was still on the floor in mild surprise.

"No rules, sweetheart." she said with a pant.

He smirked, liking this competitive side of her and stood up, brushing himself off again. He pretended to see something behind her. "What's the matter Morgan?"

She turned, and while she was caught off guard, he snatched the ball from her hands again, and completed a right side layup. When he landed, they both caught sight of Morgan finally coming out of the locker room, and Marion looked at him with a quirked brow. For some reason she seemed impressed, but Lash wasn't going to complain as his ego skyrocketed.

The rest of class went by smoothly, and Lash won, fourteen to six, because he was used to playing games like that dirty, with the no rules rule. Morgan had stood by them, watching, pretending to be in the game whenever Coach Houser came by, but for the most part he mainly encouraged Marion to beat Lash. _The little shit_, Lash had thought with a smirk.

"You got lucky today." Marion said as they returned the ball to the cart last, and other students rushed towards the locker rooms.

"Whatever." Lash said, "Don't get mad cause I'm better than you."

She smirked and lightly hit his arm. "I let you win." she said.

He rolled his eyes, but gave her a grin before they separated.

"I didn't know she was so good at basketball." he said to Morgan as they neared the locker room.

Morgan nodded. "I lose to her everytime."

Lash smirked, trying to imagine little ol' Morgan trying to block a shot, but before he could say anything, a burly jock rushed past them, shoving Morgan and almost knocking him down. Lash quickly grabbed Morgan's shoulder to steady him, before starting after the musclehead. It wasn't the fact that he'd pushed Morgan, no, he'd probably let that slip -- he'd pushed _him_. Nobody pushes Joshua Christian Ford. He reminded himself never to say his full name, even to himself.

"Hey jackass." he said, entering the locker room after the sport-o. As soon as you passed through the door you found yourself in a small hallway that led to the actual lockers.

The other boy turned on his heel, looking confused, but he smirked coolly as he caught sight of Lash.

"What?" he asked.

He had one of those deep voices that made you think of the idiots in those teen movies. He put his hands on his hips and cocked his head at Lash, seeming almost amused at the new kid standing up to him.

"Aren't you gonna apologize?" Lash asked, even though he knew that wouldn't happen.

"To him?" the boy asked pointing to Morgan, "No way."

"Yeah, _and_ to me." Lash said, only saying 'yeah' because Morgan was directly behind him, "Your fat ass almost bruised my shoulder when you pushed past me, can't imagine what it did to him."

"So suck it up you pansy." the sport-o said, earning a laugh from one of the other jocks in the class who stood behind him.

"How about I tell you to suck it up when you're bloodied and bruised and crying to your mommy?" Lash asked -- not the best comeback, but he was a bit rusty since he'd done time in jail.

As a silence swept over everyone however, Lash knew he'd made a wrong comment. The sport-o's doofy grin had faded, and he was now glaring as he advanced on the skinnier boy. Lash squared his shoulders and tried to push out his chest some to appear more, he didn't know, manly or something.

"Nobody talks about my mother." Sport-o said in a menacing tone. "Especially not little dipshits like you."

Lash made a face. "What are you gonna do about it?" he asked. "Cry me a river?"

The musclehead brought his arm back, fist clenched, and Lash swore he saw his life flash before his eyes. But a harsh voice suddenly cut the air.

"Riley; what do you think you're doing?"

Coach Houser appeared next to them, clearly pissed off. Sport-o gave Lash a final glare before he turned and stalked off for his locker. The coach looked to Lash now.

"Ford; this is your first day here." he said firmly. "I hope you don't have this behavior every period -- don't make me regret having you in my class."

Coach Houser turned and walked away as well and Lash sighed, shoulders sagging as he started for Morgan's locker, the smaller boy on his heels.

"I can't believe you did that!" Morgan exclaimed in a hushed tone. "Nobody ever stands up to him."

Lash sat down on the bench before he remembered something. "His last name's Riley," he said. "Was that Andy Riley?"

Morgan opened his locker and started to get dressed. "You know him?" he asked.

"No." Lash said slowly. "I've just..heard about him."

* * *

The next day went by smoothly, despite the fact that Marion's lime green pantyhose were really distracting. The brown skirt she wore didn't even tone it down a little. Lunch was spent with Morgan inviting both her and Lash to go bird-watching with him, to which they politely declined. At the end of the day, Lash caught up with Marion who was getting upset because she'd just missed her bus.

"You can come to my house." Morgan said quickly.

Marion sighed. "I don't have time." she said. "I have to get home."

"My mom could give you a ride." Lash said, praying for once since his release from prison his mom would be nice and take her home. He made a face. "Well, I'd have to ask."

"Really?" she asked, shoulders sagging slightly in relief. "Do you think she'd mind?"

Lash shook his head. "Nah," he said, though in his mind a voice said, _I hope not_.

With a defeated sigh, Morgan shifted his backpack. "I'll see you guys tomorrow then." he said.

They said their farewells before Lash led Marion to his mother's car, which, like the past few days, was stopped at the curb. He opened the passenger side and leaned in slightly, meeting his mother's raised brow at Marion.

"Mom, this is my friend Marion." he said to her, speaking slowly as though she had a problem understanding. "She missed her bus, and it would mean a lot to me if you gave her a ride home."

Mrs. Ford had never seen her son looking so sincere that for a moment she was shocked; flabbergasted if you will. She nodded after a pause, and Lash gave her a half-smirk before straightening to nod at Marion with an almost pride.

"Your chariot." he declared, pulling open the back door.

Marion beamed and for a moment Lash envisioned her giving him a kiss on the cheek, he may have even leaned in slightly, but she only thanked him verbally before sliding into the seat.

"So...Marion," Mrs. Ford said as she pulled her BMW away from the school. "Are you in any of Lash's classes?"

"Mm-hmm." Marion replied in her bubbly tone as she watched the scenery pass, and Lash secretly watched her in the mirror on his side. "Three in fact."

"Well that's nice." Mrs. Ford said, side-glancing her son. "Need someone to set this boy of mine straight."

Marion grinned and met Lash's eyes in the mirror so he quickly looked away, groaning at his mom for saying something like that, but his mother ignored him.

"I bet he isn't that bad." Marion mused.

Mrs. Ford shook her head very slightly. "If only you knew."

The rest of the ride went by in silence and Lash felt his eyes widen as they pulled up to Marion's house. It was painted an ugly sky blue color with dark blue shutters, and the front yard was full of dying grass and strange lawn ornaments. They didn't stop at flamingos and gnomes -- there were deer, geese, rabbits -- Lash even saw a beaver ornament.

"Thanks for the ride Mrs. Ford." Marion said, opening her door.

"Anytime dear." Lash's mom said seemingly unaffected by the circus they'd just pulled up to.

"See you in English, Lash."

He felt his eyes narrow as Marion slipped from the car. She'd put a special emphasis on the word 'English' that went unnoticed by his mother. She was reminding him of the day before.

"Nice girl." Mrs. Ford said as they watched her pick her way through her crowded yard. "A bit...eccentric, but nice."

Lash nodded slowly. "I'd hate to see this place in Christmas," was the only response he could muster.

Without another word, Mrs. Ford started home.

* * *

_I know, it's moving slowly. That's the way I work. But I hope you still like it._


End file.
